URBANA, Ill. - In the Sunday afternoon series finale, the Fighting Illini softball team earned their sixth-straight win and first series sweep of the season, downing the Wisconsin Badgers 7-1 at Eichelberger Field.Â
Illinois (22-13, 6-2 B1G) were led at the plate by junior Delaney Rummell, who went 3-for-3 on the day with a double and an RBI, and senior Kailee Powell, who went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Juniors Kelly Ryono and Danielle Davis, freshman Paige Berkmeyer, and graduate student Bella Loya also added RBI's on the afternoon. In the circle, freshman Lauren Wiles earned the win thanks to 5.2 IP giving up just one run and walking one while striking out nine batters. Senior Sydney Sickels entered the game in the sixth and finished the game, adding three strikeouts.
"Sweeping a series in the B1G Ten is a difficult task and I am proud of the overall team effort on both days. Our pitching staff was phenomenal all weekend. I see growth in each of them" head coach Tyra Perry said. "Our offensive goal was to keep our bats hot and our base running aggressive and I believe we more than achieved those goals. Delaney Rummell was a force at the plate, and she continues to expand her profile and led our offense today."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wiles pitched around a leadoff single and stolen base in the first inning, sitting down a Badger hitter via strikeout and a groundout to end the first unscathed. Illinois found a leadoff hit of their own from Avrey Steiner, but the Illini were unable to put a run on the board. Wiles picked up another two K's in the second working around another single, while the Illini at the plate had runners on second with one out after a Rummell double and a Powell single and stolen base. An RBI ground out from Loya put the Illini up 1-0, and a ground out ended the inning.
Wisconsin tied the ball game at one after a solo home run to left-center field in the top half of the third, while the Illini could not break into the lead in the bottom of the inning despite a walk from Stevie Meade. The Badgers threatened to take the lead in the top of the fourth inning after a leadoff single and two straight stolen bases put a runner on third with none out. However, Wiles was able to notch two straight strikeouts and induced a ground out to the short stop to keep the score tied at one. In the bottom half of the inning, Illinois was able to retake the lead after Rummell got on base with a single and came around to score on an RBI double from Ryono, pushing the score to 2-1 after four innings.
The Badgers again threatened in the top of the fifth after a pair of hits placed runners on second and third with one away. The Illini then nabbed the runner trying to score from third, and a backwards K from Wiles ended the Wisconsin threat. Illinois came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth with a one-run lead and would end the inning with a six-run lead after scoring five runs on four hits and two Badger errors. The inning started with Steiner reaching on an error and a single from Ward, while Meade reached after a dropped pop up from the Badger pitcher to load the bases with no outs. Ryono then singled to center field to advance all runners ahead a base, while Ward scored on a passed ball from the catcher. Rummell then dumped a single to right field to score another run, and Berkmeyer reached base on a fielders choice to keep the scoring run going. Davis then finished up the Illini scoring in the fifth, notching an RBI single to left to move the score to 7-1 Illinois after five innings.
The Badgers looked to bounce back in the sixth after working a walk and getting hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs, but Sickels was able to strikeout the final batter of the inning to put another zero on the board. In the seventh, Wisconsin grabbed a leadoff single but was unable to bring the runner around, and two strikeouts and a line out from Sickels completed the series sweep of the Badgers with a 7-1 victory in the series finale.
UP NEXT
Illinois is set for another busy week playing six games in the next seven days, beginning on Tuesday evening when Illinois hosts Indiana State at Eichelberger Field for a 5:00 p.m. CT first pitch. Illinois will then welcome their in-state rival Northwestern to Eichelberger on Wednesday evening for a doulbeheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. CT, with game two schedueld to begin at approximatley 6:30 p.m. CT. Both games of the doubleheader Wednesday will be television nationally on the Big Ten Network. The Illini will then head to Rutgers for a three-game set against the Scarlet Knights from Friday (April 15) to Sunday (April 17).
